Roller gin knife mount



Oct. 11, 1960 J. c. NEITZEL 2,955,328

ROLLER GIN KNIFE MOUNT Filed May 11, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Jose ob CI lVe/fze/ 7 Oct. 11, 1960 J. c. NEITZEL 2,955,328

ROLLER cm KNIFE MOUNT Filed May; 11, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z2 g? 5i W INVENTOR. f 3 Jose 0b C. lVe/IZe/ BY mm- A TTOR/VEY sion of each of these 2,955,328 OLLERI GIN KNIFE MOUNT Company of of Delaware Filed May 1i, 1959, Star. No. 812,375 7 Claims. 01. 1940 r Texas, Inc., Dallas, Tex., a corporation In a conventional roller pusher, adheres to the surface of the roller and is dragged thereby-against and under the stationary blade or knife. The latter knife is resiliently mounted so -as' to bear against the roller-with suflicient force to catch and hold the seeds on the edge of the blade until the upwardly moving lower knife'engages and pushes the seed loose from the lint cotton. The cotton then travels with the roller and is dotted-therefrom, as by a doffing roller. The seed, after being separated from the lint, falls downwardly to a seedconveyor.

Of all the adjustments required for proper'operation of atroller gin, the adjustment which requires the most constant attention -is that which insures the application of proper tension to the stationary knife for resiliently urging the same toward the ginning roller. If the tension is too great, ginning capacity will decrease and the excessive friction of the stationaryknife against the roller may cause excessive heat and greatly increase the wear of anddam-age to the surface of the roller. Here.- tofore, the stationary knife has been resiliently biased byresilient clips spaced there along'and spanning the intersect-ionbetween the blade and its mount. The tenclipsis individually controlled by a threaded bolt and nut. .Such manual adjustment requires considerable skill andexperience on the part of the gin operator in order to maintain propertension on the blade securing clips and, thereby, uniform ginning over the entire length of the ginning roller for maximum efliciency. q

The main object ofthe present invention is to provide novel means facilitating and insuring the application of uniform pressure to the stationary blade or knife throughout itslength, together with simplified means for controlling such pressure.

The novel means herein, disclosed for, achieving this I Joseph C. Neitzel, Dallas, Tex.,.assignor to The Murray gin, the seed cotton which is Y forced against the ginning roller by a" reciprocating framing members and other more detailed objects consists, in general, of

providingmoreor less conventional bowed, spring clips, along the stationary blade for securing the same to its mount. However, securing'tension is applied to these 7 clips by means of a plurality of expansible-chamber,

fluid pressure-actuated deyices, each connected to one of thecli ps by-a suitable operating -linkage and all of the devices being connected tq a common source of' regulated fluid pressure. Thus, uniform, readily regulated biasing pressure is. applied toj the blade throughout its length 1,

gIrr the j accompan ing drawing r which. inventidn,"""

Fig. 1 is a largely schematic representation illustrating the various parts of a roller gin, including the stationary blade and its novel securing means.

Fig. 2 is an elevation, taken substantially on line 22 strat s-t 2,955,328 Patented Oct. 11, 1960 of Fig. 1 and showing on an enlarged scale a portion of the stationary blade and its mounting.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail e evation taken substantially on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail side view and vertical transverse section taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 2, the parts being rotated 90 clockwise.

Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on the corresponding section line of Fig. 2, the parts being rotated 90? clockwise.

As shown in schematic Fig. 1, there is provided at the upper part of the gin, a Draper feeding hopper 6 from which the seed cotton is dropped via slide7 onto pusher board 8 and Draper feeder belt 9. The pusher board is pivotally connected by links 10 and 11 to an eccentric pin 12 on a driving counter shaft l3connected by a belt drive 14 to a power sheave 15. The seed grid 16 is mounted on a rocker device, generally designated 17, which is pivotally connected by a link 18 to a crank 19 secured to moving, knife rock shaft 20, Where by the seed grid is constantly agitated during operation.

Ginning roller 21 is suitably journaled in the side framing of the machine and powered for rotation in a counter clockwise direction, as indicated. The surface of roller 21 is formed by suitable material, as rubber or rubber-fiber combination, to which the lint will tend to adhere. A stationary blade mount 22 is secured to and extends transversely of the framing and has apertured extensions, as at 23 in Figs. 2 and 3 for attachment to (not shown). Secured to and extending along this mount is the stationary blade or knife 24. Blade 24 is resiliently secured to its mount and biased toward the ginning roller by means of a series of bowed, resilient clips 25 and brackets 26 disposed there along. The bowedv clips are pressured through a plurality of expansible-chamber, fiuid-pressure-actu-ated cylinder devices 36 and connecting levers 27, as described in detail hereafter.

Cotton from hopper 6 is picked up by spikes 28 on Draper feeder belt 9, operating oround driving sheaths 29 and 30, one of which is suitably powered. The cotton is deposited by the Draper belt onto the forward portion of pusher board 8 and seed grid 16, whence it is pushed by the board against the ginning roller. Located beneath stationary knife 24 is a movable knife or blade 31, pivotally secured by means of a link 32 and yoke 33 to an eccentric 34 on driving counter shaft 35.-

.Movable knife 31 is supported by a link '39 which is secured at its distalextremity to rock shaft 20. Accordingly, the movable knife reciprocates vertically so as to intermittently remove seed adhering to the stationary knife, the seed then dropping downwardly through grid 16 and hopper 40 to seed conveyor 41. The lint freed from the seed is then carriedaround the ginning roller on its rubber surface and is doifed therefrom by the rubber-flighted dofling roller 42, from whence it is collected, as by a drag belt passing in front of a battery of roller gins for delivery to the press.

Hydraulic cylinders 36 spaced equallyalong blade mount 22 are connected at their outer endsby means of T-fittings 43 and piping 44 and 45'to the discharge side of a low-volume, hydraulic pump 46. All of the hydraulic cylinders are also connected by retufn lines 47, common rail piping 48, and connecting piping .4910 bydraulic storage tank 50. A by-pas-s ,51 connects the pumpfl'discharge through an adjustable jauto natic pres-- A pressure indicator gauge As best shown in Fig. 6, each hydraulic cylinder 26 has working therein a piston 55, pivotally connected to an actuator stem 56, which extends through the threaded nipple 57 by means of which the cylinder is secured to a flange S, projecting upwardly from a second flange 59, which projects horizontally from stationary blade mount 22. At its free end, stem '56 engages a pad in the end of lever 27 which is pivoted on ashaft 60 carried on studs 61 projecting from the blade mount structure. At its opposite end each lever 27 is secured by means of a pin 62 and nut 63 to a threaded bolt 64 which extends slidably through an opening in blade mount 22 and also through the center of resiliently bowed, blade-securing clip 25. The bolt has an enlarged head 65, received in a countersink in the clip, whereby tension applied to-the bolt tends to compress or flatten the clip to thereby apply resilient securing pressure against the blade so as to resist tilting thereof relative to the blade mount and for biasing the bladeresiliently toward or against the ginning roller. Piston 55 is constantly urged outwardly by a coiled spring 66, which opposes the force of fluid pressure in chamber 67 at the opposite end of the piston. As previously explained, fluid pressure is applied to each pressure chamber 67 within the cylinder by means of T-fittings 43 and common rail piping 44, which connects at one end to supply piping 45 from the pump. Return piping 49 leads from the spring chamber for educting any'fluid which escapes around the pistons and returning the same to the tank.

As best shown in Figs. 2 and '3, bowed blade securing clips 25 span the intersection between blade mount 22 and stationary blade 24 so as to apply uniform, regulated pressure to all of the clips which are spaced at regular intervals along the blade. Brackets 26 also provided at selected intervals along the intersection of the blade and mount, are secured to blade mount 22 by means of .bolts 69 extending through suitable openings provided in the blade mount and secured in position by nuts 70a. All of the hydraulic cylinders, as well as the connecting piping and levers 27, are enclosed within casing 70 secured to and projecting from blade mount 22. Preferably, the regulated hydraulic pressuring system, also, will be conveniently mounted on the gin framing.

In operation, regulator 52 will be adjusted to insure the application of suitable actuating fluid pressure to all of the hydraulic cylinders or motors 36 for causing, as previously explained, application of uniform, resilient securing pressure to all of the clips 25 distributed along the stationary blade and tending to resist tilting of the blade about its longitudinal axis. In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, hydraulic pressure of 400 pounds per square inch registered on gauge 54 resulted in the application of 1200 pounds of pressure through each lever 27 and bolt 64 to the'associated bowed clip. This pressure applied to the clips resulted in operation of the gin at maximum efliciency. Moreover, due to the uniform dimensioning of the pressure feed piping and fitting nipples as well as the hydraulic cylinders and pistons and their operating connections to the blade at taching clips, uniform pressure is applied to each securing point along the blade, while adjustment of this pressure may be easily accomplished by means of the common regulator 52.

The invention may be modified in various respects as will occur to those skilled in the art and the exclusive use of all modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims is contemplated.

I claim:

" I. In a roller gin, stationary knife structure comprising an elongated mount, a blade, a plurality of resilient devices interconnecting said mount and said blade at points spaced there along, and a single adjustment for common control of the mounting force applied by said devices to said blade.

2. In a roller gin, a stationary knife mount, a knife carried thereby, a plurality of fluid actuated devices resiliently securing said knife to said mount, a common source of fluid pressure for said devices, and a single adjustment for said source for common control of said devices and, thereby, the resilient securingcf said knife to said mount.

3. In a roller gin, a stationary knife mount, a knife carried thereby, -a plurality of clips resiliently securing said knife on said mount, fluid pressure actuated means operatively connected to said clips, and a single device for adjusting the pressure applied by said means and, thereby, the knife securing tension of said clips.

.4- In a roller gin, ,a stationary blade mount, a blade carried thereby, a plurality of clips resiliently interconnecting said mount and said blade for resisting tilting of said blade about its longitudinal axis, a plurality of fluid motors each operatively connected to one of said clips for controlling the action thereof upon said blade, and

a common, regulated pressure source for said motors.

5. In a roller gin, a stationary blade mount, a blade carried thereby, a plurality of resilient bowed clips bridging the intersection between said mount and said blade for resisting tilting of said blade about its longitudinal axis, a plurality of fluid pressure-actuated, expansiblechamber devices, each associated with one of said clips, an actuator operatively connecting each of said devices with the associated clip, and a common source of regulated fluid pressure for all of said devices whereby uniform securing pressure is applied to said blade by all of said clips.

v6. In a roller gin, a stationary blade mount, a blade carried thereby, a securing clip having a central resilient part bridging the intersection of said mount and said blade for resiliently resisting tilting of said blade relative to said mount, a fluid pressure operated, expansible chamber device, an actuating stem engaging said resilient part, a pivoted lever connecting said stem and said device, and a source of regulated fluid pressure for said device.

7. In a roller gin, a stationary blade mount, an elongated blade carried thereby with a part overlapping said mount and a part projecting laterally therefrom, a plurality of bowed, resilient clips spanning the intersection of said mount and said blade for resisting tilting of said blade about the longitudinal axis thereof, a plurality of actuating stems each secured to the bowed part of one of said clips and slidably extending through said mount, an expansible-chamber, fluid-pressure-operated device adjacent each of said stems, a lever pivoted to said mount and operatively interconnecting each stem with the associated expansible chamber device, and means to supply regulated fluid pressure to all of said devices for applying controlled securing forces from said devices through said levers and said stems to said clips.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 499,560 Montgomery June 13, 1893 1 ,678,794 Talley July] 31, 1928 2,613,741 Battersby Oct. 14, 1952 2,782,853 Heifelfinger Feb. 26, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS r-T"'- "fi'29fP-' 295,152 Great Britain Aug. 9, 1928 

